July consisted of traveling, heat waves, and a lot of reading. It was the first time in a long time that I felt carefree and escaped to new places. I have not read/listened to this many books in a while, but I hope August will be another delight!
One of my favorite this is charts, so let’s see July’s breakdown.
In July, I finished 22 books: 5 were physical reads, 10 were audiobooks, and 7 were eBooks.
Genre Breakdown
If you haven’t figured it out by now, romance is kind of my go to genre, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy other genres. Honestly I am trying to push myself more to avoid only reading romance in a month. Let’s see how I did.
While 47% of my books were romance, I did read/listen to books from 8 additional genres, with my second highest genre being Manga at 14%. I did not complete any sci-fi books this month, but I did start one.
Books by Ratings
As I mentioned in my ratings post, I recently changed how I look at books. The goal being more objective with a hint of subjective. I will say that there were a lot less 5 stars than I was use to.
I wish more review/rating websites offered the half star because sometimes a book is in between. For myself, I read 2 books that I would classify as in-between (3.5 stars). Otherwise, the majority of my books were 4-star ratings.
Overall, not too shabby!
Last but certainly not least, the Best and the Worst of the month. This one is super easy for me to identify and should come as no surprise based on my reviews.
The Best
The Worst
Overall I am really happy with what I accomplished this month. Hopefully, I will have one more month of freedom before the crazy of school starts in September.
What did your July look like? What were your best and worst?
January Andrews is known for her romance novels. At one point she believed in all things love. She had a relationship that she thought would last forever and she wanted her relationship like her parents. Everyone has secrets though. Following the death of her father, January learns that there were some skeletons in her parents closet. After these secrets are reveal and her perfect relationship fails, believing in love is no longer a reality. As a result, she has been struggling to write her novel. Now she has three months to write her next book…but can she do it?
Her father left her his house after he died. January decided that she would clean it out and spend the summer there trying to write her book. There would be no distractions and it should make it easier. That was until she met her next door neighbor, Gus, who she went to school with and was in constant competition. When the two run into each other in town, both struggling to write their books a competition begins.
Who will win in the end? What other secrets may be hiding? Will January and Gus finish their books? Will they stay enemies?
Only time will tell.
Thoughts?
I read this book immediately after finishing “The Dead Romantics.” I didn’t realize it was going to be the summer of writers. There were some similarities between the books: writers, not believing in love, dead father, but there was also a lot that was different.
When I was first introduced to January, I wasn’t sure how I felt about her. She was going through a lot, navigating her feelings and facing the reality of her financial/family situations. Those are places that I can definitely relate to, but I was a little worried that her pity party would drag out too long. Thankfully I did not find that to be the case.
You are quickly introduced to Gus and see another side of January that highlights her inability to cope and forget the past. Gus had other things in mind. As their relationship developed in different ways, I enjoyed seeing how both characters grew, changed and interacted with each other as they tried to write these new books. They also have some wonderful banter; the note passing is adorable!
The challenge that Gus proposed was truly a delight. Seeing how both characters could create a story and the process that they took was interesting. The dichotomy of the types of books each wrote was also fascinating. Usually I tend to focus my reading on romance or women’s literature. It’s not that I don’t enjoy anything else, but it’s what I gravitate to, so seeing a small perspective of thought process for something different was interesting.
Even though I liked both Gus and January, my favorite character was easily Pete. Pete always has something up her sleeve and is the life of the party. She is the person that causes me to squirm when they enter a room or their opinion into my relationships, but I also know they have the best intentions. Pete is witty, carefree, and an interesting business owner.
So why not 5 stars?
While I enjoy Emily Henry’s writing style and storylines, storylines were dragged out, and others were not developed enough. I also found that there was a lot of hype around this book, making it difficult to stay objective about it. I would like to mention that I owned this book way before the hype; I just hadn’t gotten to it yet. While there is not a lot of sex or intimacy when it does occur, it’s not too bad. The against the bookshelves, wooh! Loved that!
Final Review
Do I think this is a good book?
Yes. I really enjoy Emily Henry’s writing style and the way she develops her characters.
Was it really a summer-y read?
While you aren’t sitting on a beach or going on some magical vacation, the majority of the book takes place within the three months of summer (June, July, August). January and Gus still experience some summer activities, such as the 4th of July, summer weather, and sitting on the patio watching the lake.
Would I recommend this to anyone and everyone?
Yes! I would say that this is a loose enemies to lovers, so if that is not your cup of tea then this may not be for you.
If you are looking for a cute summer read about someone trying to overcome their past and explore the future, this book is for you. Like all Emily Henry books, a small surprise occurs within the book designed to pull on your heart strings. Overall, it is a delightful read, and I am sad it took me so long to pick it up.
You have just saved Ithicana from the wrath of your father. He manipulated you, destroyed your trust in people, and endangered all you hold dear. Unfortunately, due to the doomed circumstances of your father’s actions, you are now attempting to rebuild the trust of the Ithicanian people. There are numerous roadblocks in the way; one, in particular, is that you have been stuck in bed for that last month healing from your injuries. Therefore, you must navigate a new set of obstacles that involve winning over the court, discovering marital incompatibility, and being recognized as the Ithicanian queen.
Good Luck.
This novella takes place following The Traitor Queen and The Inadequate Heir.
Thoughts?
Following the near-death experiences of Lara, Aren and Lara have a lot of emotions and sexual tension. The easiest way to relieve that sexual tension is, of course, to have sex; however, Aren’s grandma gave strict orders for Lara to rest. Obviously over-rated. This novella has more sexual scenes and energy than any of the other books in the series, but it also has less plot/details needed.
While the sex scenes were well written, my favorite part in this novella was not the sex. It is the scene when Lara is finally able to leave her bed and starts to walk towards the main room, where the country’s meeting is occurring. Lara’s strength, determination, and vulnerability as a character were relatable and intriguing.
Even though these six chapters were unnecessary, I am glad they exist. They show a rebuilding and rekindling of the relationship that Aren and Lara were working with in the previous books.
I genuinely look forward to seeing what else happens throughout the rest of the series.
Final Review
Do I think this is a good book?
Yes.
Did it add anything to the story , or was it just extra and irrelevant?
This one is a little tough to answer because we do not know what follows The Inadequate Heir. If Danielle L Jensen decides to incorporate several of the story aspects in the next book, then it was probably something just to bid the time between the next release. But, if these points are not added, then it was a great addition and something I am glad exists.
Would I recommend this to anyone and everyone?
Absolutely!
The Bridge Kingdom series is ideal for anyone who loves fantasy, fae, spice, enemies-to-lovers, and wonderful world-building. When I started this series, I did not know what to expect; but now that I am here, it has turned into one of my favorites.
Welcome to my library. I mean, kind of. This will be myway of transforming my physical library into one online that I can share with you!
For the last year and a half I have rediscovered my love of reading. I learned to escape the crazy and enjoy what was in front of me. I learned that reading can be both a coping skill and an addiction. I became a bookseller, where I could share my passion of reading and discover new loves. In addition to all that… I continued to pursue my dreams in higher education. Which let me tell you has been exhausting.
But now…now I’m ready to try something new.
I’m ready to write.
I’ve been busy writing essays, research proposals, and theses that I am ready for something fun. My ultimate goal will be to write my first romance novel. But for anyone who has thought about taking on that project, it takes time, and creativity. To help with that process, in the meantime I will be working on sharing my experience as a bibliophile.
I physically own 468 books (and counting). Audiobooks and Ebooks adds to that number substantially. I have a range of old books, new books, signed books, special edition books, paperback, hard cover and more.
I prefer Romance, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery/Thriller, and YA Fantasy; but I will try anything once.
Do I read spicy romance?
100%. It has probably become one of my all time favorite genres.
What can you expect to find on this website and my podcast?
To start, it will probably be a lot of book reviews, maybe some bookish items, or insight into my awakening bibliophile journey. But, if I am being honest, I am not entirely sure what this will turn into; though I am excited to find out!
What I can tell you is this. I will post three times a week (and if you are lucky a few more). It will be full of book related information and fun. And it will allow us to connect with more people with the same passions.
If you have made it this far and are interested in more, then WELCOME!
If not, that is completely okay! Everyone has a different journey and I hope yours is wonderful.
Awakening Bibliophile 
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